How To Make Side FLARES For A VAN? Anyone Build Their Own?

M

magentawave

Adventurer
I want to build side wall sleeping pods / flares for my 2005 Chevy Express / GMC Savana 2500 extended van so I can fully stretch out in my bed. . (I am 5’-11”.) You often see these flares / sleeping pods on Sprinters, Ford Transits and Promasters, but I have never seen them on “normal“ full-size vans like the Chevy Express / GMC Savana. The prices for flares are crazy expensive so I’d like to build my own. I have lots of experience fiberglassing surfboards, boats, etc. (polyester & epoxy) and was a custom cabinetmaker/finish carpenter for decades. I’m deciding between building them out of thin marine plywood or sheets of foam and then fiberglass the exterior.

QUESTION: Anyone build their own flares / sleeping pods? Can you tell me what materials you used to make them, please? Do you have photos?

Thanks🤙🏼
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dstefan

dstefan

Well-known member
Zero experience here, but Superfast Matt recently had a video on doing this on his YouTube channel. Maybe helpful, though he did use 3D printed sections to make the flares. Great channel, and quite entertaining if you’re not familiar with it.
 
rruff

rruff

Explorer
magentawave said:
I’m deciding between building them out of thin marine plywood or sheets of foam and then fiberglass the exterior.
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Get some XPS foam from the usual places... glue them together to get the proper thickness and cut and shape them. Cover with plastic sheet or saran wrap, epoxy and cloth, let cure, remove the foam and plastic.

I'd recommend Ebond's cheap epoxy (slow cure) and 18oz plain weave cloth from Thayer Craft. Make sure to get the volan finish which is more flexible.
 
M

magentawave

Adventurer
rruff said:
Get some XPS foam from the usual places... glue them together to get the proper thickness and cut and shape them. Cover with plastic sheet or saran wrap, epoxy and cloth, let cure, remove the foam and plastic.

I'd recommend Ebond's cheap epoxy (slow cure) and 18oz plain weave cloth from Thayer Craft. Make sure to get the volan finish which is more flexible.
Click to expand...
I have been shaping and glassing my own surfboards for a long time. I was thinking of using 1 1/2” thick XPS. Shape em nicely with rounded corners, etc. and glass the outside with several layers of 6 or 8 oz cloth and epoxy resin. (I already have the epoxy and might have enough cloth.)

So, instead of using the foam as a mold, which is what you suggest, it would be part of the flare and would serve as insulation. I will double check, but I’m almost certain there are no compatibility issues with XPS and epoxy.

Do you see a problem with that?
 
rruff

rruff

Explorer
Is the rest of your van well insulated? 1.5" of extra foam means you'll have to stick the warts out that much farther. Thinner cloth is fine, just more layers. XPS is ok with epoxy, but in testing I found that getting a good bond between XPS and epoxy is tough.

For something that sticks out and would be subjected to tree branches and such, I think I'd do a single layer (less fragile)... and stick a layer of soft foam on the inside if I wanted insulation.

Even with PVC foam it seemed like ~30oz/ sq yd of cloth on each side was about right for my walls. 3x that or more would be good for a single layer wart, I think.
 
M

magentawave

Adventurer
rruff said:
Is the rest of your van well insulated? 1.5" of extra foam means you'll have to stick the warts out that much farther. Thinner cloth is fine, just more layers. XPS is ok with epoxy, but in testing I found that getting a good bond between XPS and epoxy is tough.

For something that sticks out and would be subjected to tree branches and such, I think I'd do a single layer (less fragile)... and stick a layer of soft foam on the inside if I wanted insulation.

Even with PVC foam it seemed like ~30oz/ sq yd of cloth on each side was about right for my walls. 3x that or more would be good for a single layer wart, I think.
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No insulation yet. It’s an empty cargo van. I’m not stuck on using XPS and will do more research.

Thanks
 
rruff

rruff

Explorer
magentawave said:
No insulation yet. It’s an empty cargo van. I’m not stuck on using XPS and will do more research.
Click to expand...
Just seems like since the whole point of adding these is to get more internal width, you'd want them as thin as possible. A single layer will bend more easily without breaking, which is one benefit... and it's probably easier to repair also. I'm always rubbing on branches to get to good camp spots...
 
M

magentawave

Adventurer
rruff said:
Just seems like since the whole point of adding these is to get more internal width, you'd want them as thin as possible. A single layer will bend more easily without breaking, which is one benefit... and it's probably easier to repair also. I'm always rubbing on branches to get to good camp spots...
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If I get a ding then I’ll fix it just like I’ve done a million times with surfboards.

You want thin but ya have to add a little insulation so the 1/4” to 1/2” foam core will be that insulation.

I need some mass because I plan on incorporating a surfboard rack into the drivers side flare. I am calling the company that makes Foamular NGX tomorrow to see if I can find 1/4” thick XPS for the face.
 
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rruff

rruff

Explorer
How will you shape a thin sheet of XPS to what you need, and so you can glass both sides? Or will you make a mold first to do the outer layer, and then add the foam to the inside with another layer of cloth?

Maybe see if you can find a place that sells Divinycell foam in smaller sheets.
 
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